Actor Manoj Bajpayee, who was recently in Delhi, says the city is a different place now, but he’s still happy to come back here every time.

He wasn’t born in Delhi, but actor Manoj Bajpayee has spent some of his most cherished times in the city. No wonder then, the minute one mentions Delhi, he quickly adds, “Delhi feels like home for me.”

The actor, who studied at Ramjas College, Delhi University, and later at National School of Drama, says, “Delhi has played a crucial role in educating me creatively and emotionally.” He adds, “My family lives here now. So do my friends. It’s good time always. Whenever I come, I become nostalgic, and I always try to visit Mandi House. Delhi is a different place now, but I’m just happy to be here.”

On his last trip, Bajpai was present for the screening of his latest film, Budhia Singh: Born to Run at the Smile International Film Festival for Children and Youth (SIFFCY). The actor says he enjoyed interacting with children there. But the best reaction he’s received was when his film released. “I’ve received plenty of appreciation for Budhia, but my daughter’s reaction was the best. She is five and a half, and when she came out of the theatre, she was running around and yelling ‘Look I’m Budhia!’”

“This is the impact on children and they relate to it. Films like these motivate them. That’s all we want. You show the children that if this child can do it so can you. All of you are privileged ones as compared to the kid you saw.”